In the most well-known cases involving women news anchors, the women claimed that they were being discriminated against based on criteria of age and attractiveness that were not also applied to their co-anchors who were men. In the case of Lorraine Woodward, news anchor at Sacramento, California television station KTXL, the issue is much simpler: Despite equal or betting ratings than her co-anchor, Ms. Woodward (who has not yet been told she is too old or not attractive enough), gets paid about half as much as her male colleague for the same work.
When we tried to interview Ms. Woodward, her attorney told us she doesn't want to publicize her lawsuit, and hopes that if she is restrained in her approach, she will be able to continue her job at KTXL and her career in broadcasting. Ms. Woodward, her attorney said, doesn't want to be seen as a crusader.
We respect anyone's right to as much privacy as they desire, but we think Ms. Woodward's perspective on her lawsuit is -- how to put it gently? -- naive. Not only are "glass ceiling lawsuits" quickly publicized through all sorts of informal grapevines, in Ms. Woodward's industry, there is also an electronic bulletin board called "ShopTalk" to which most television stations subscribe. A national pr firm could hardly get Ms. Woodward's lawsuit more widely known than it is already. The question is, will she use the notoriety to build support for her case, which might just help bring about equal pay for other women in broadcasting?
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